Ah, it is not even 9pm and already it is getting dark here in NYS. The birds were singing just a moment ago.....many voices all singing their own personal song. After a while, you can hear the differences in the voices....very subtle, but somehow still very distinct. Those voices now are all quiet. A solitary bird calls out, but falters and stops. Somewhere near an insect starts a racket, but is also soon quiet. There is serious trouble for someone, I know because the ambulance and medic race by, but that too is soon distant, then gone.
I see now it is an accident, the fire truck goes by and a few more lighted, fast vehicles.
When I used to hear the peepers, now I hear the crickets and I wonder....are they early this year?
And the bats fly by, and I know there is sound there, but I can't hear it. I do hear the Canadian geese looking for their pond and a place to spend the evening.
And i realize that much of what I experience while outside, in my yard, on this night, is SOUND. Last night at this time I was finishing my first set, making sound that it seemed people were enjoying.....I had lot of people there, listening to the music I made with my friend David, and enjoying it, maybe not as much as I was, but certainly they were having a good time. Making music. A wonderful experience.
The helicopter landed, the ambulance is not there yet...I wish the best for whoever is affected....and whatever best may mean, given the situation.
And I will send this post off before the mosquitoes eat me alive!!!
"It's like a warning to me...... Stay still, Shakey, and you'll turn to rust and dust....... So I keep on moving" -Neil Young
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
New GIGS, this week!!!
I hope your summer is going really well!!! I have been very busy, particularly these past two weeks....Had two shows this past Saturday--the Copake Farmers Market and a private party! Both went really well, although the Farmers Market was a little wet.
This week, I also have two shows, and I hope you can come out and make them. The first is in Hillsdale, NY and is a competition (decided to do this for the experience and learning that is sure to happen...). The way the competition works is that there are three judges (gosh, I don't like that term as applies to MUSIC!) who rate an artist on Songwriting, Performance and Muscianship. The really cool part is that 25% of the total score comes from the audience. Therefore, to increase your score, and chance of winning the prize (which is the chance to record three songs in a studio with a producer!!! GREAT experience and opportunity), the artist is encouraged to stock the audience with friends!!!
I know this is short notice, but if you are able to come out and support me, I sure would appreciate it....
Next up for shows is the Inquiring Minds Bookstore in Saugerties, and a friend or two may stop in to add some 'extra touches' to my songs, so that should be a fun show. Starts at 7pm right in the heart of Saugerties, NY.
Hope to see some of you this week!!!
Monday, June 21, 2010
A Day in the Life of Joe Conservative
don't know who wrote it, but I really like it!
**************************
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers’ Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans.
The house didn’t have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn’t mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: “We don’t need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I’m a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have.”
**************************
All but $10 of his medications are paid for by his employer’s medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance - now Joe gets it too.
He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs. Joe’s bacon is safe to eat because some girly-man liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.
In the morning shower, Joe reaches for his shampoo. His bottle is properly labeled with each ingredient and its amount in the total contents because some crybaby liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained.
Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some environmentalist wacko liberal fought for the laws to stop industries from polluting our air.
He walks on the government-provided sidewalk to subway station for his government-subsidized ride to work. It saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees because some fancy-pants liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day. He has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some lazy liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe’s employer pays these standards because Joe’s employer doesn’t want his employees to call the union.
If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he’ll get a worker compensation or unemployment check because some stupid liberal didn’t think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It is noontime and Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe’s deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC because some godless liberal wanted to protect Joe’s money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Great Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some elitist liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime. Joe also forgets that his in addition to his federally subsidized student loans, he attended a state funded university.
Joe is home from work. He plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive. His car is among the safest in the world because some America-hating liberal fought for car safety standards to go along with the tax-payer funded roads.
He arrives at his boyhood home. His was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmers’ Home Administration because bankers didn’t want to make rural loans.
The house didn’t have electricity until some big-government liberal stuck his nose where it didn’t belong and demanded rural electrification.
He is happy to see his father, who is now retired. His father lives on Social Security and a union pension because some wine-drinking, cheese-eating liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn’t have to.
Joe gets back in his car for the ride home, and turns on a radio talk show. The radio host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. He doesn’t mention that the beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day. Joe agrees: “We don’t need those big-government liberals ruining our lives! After all, I’m a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have.”
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Gig! Saturday, April 17
Saturday April 17, I will be opening for The Jack Stafford Foundation at
204 S Undermountain Rd, Sheffield, MA
781-413-7604. I hope to see you there!!
781-413-7604. I hope to see you there!!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
The Trunk Show, by Demme and Young....
It is still snowing here.
It seems like it has been snowing for a life time.
Last night I was supposed to see a Q & A with Jonathon Demme after viewing his two movies on Neil Young, The Trunk Show and Heart of Gold. I have read that he sees these movies as two ends of the spectrum that is Neil Young....I don't quite agree (I think Neil has gone further into both ends than is presented in either show) but I sure do like Demme's eye and ear for Neil. I like that he likes to capture the artists on stage communicating with each other, I like how he shows Neil's playing and his emotion around the music. I have seen both movies before, but, as EVERYONE knows....movies are to be seen on the big screen, not this little tv screen....
So, it is still snowing, and did most of the day yesterday. Luckily, I didn't have to decide whether to try and make it---the movies were canceled.
What to do?? My friend Todd and I decided to head to Hudson, and take a walk and think about it...which we did, and ended up at Mexican Radio, an upscale Manhattan type Mexican restaurant (as opposed to an authentic one). I love that place, and I have taken MANY a rustie there for meals and/or drinks....
We had planned to check out the Main Street Pub in Philmont....I have heard many people suggest that it is a cool place to hang out, because it is very musician, and music, friendly. Last night they had a band, and we liked the write up we read on the website, (but I couldn't find the bands music at ALL on the internet). We planned to go....
But, it was still snowing. The roads were getting slick. Philmont is a hill town and kind of known around here for getting it worse there than about anywhere else in the county when it comes to bad weather.....
We ate, drank, and it was still snowing....
So, we went to my place and I took out my copy of Heart of Gold, gave Todd the 'back story' of Neil's health problems that were the catalyst for many of the songs in the film (unneeded, I quickly found out). It wasn't too long before I was hearing things from my friend like, 'He really does have a lot of great songs', and 'Wow, that was beautiful', and 'What a talented man'.
I don't know what got into me, but I decided that, having allowed Neil to be appreciated by my friend, he had to see the 'other side'....but I don't have the trunk show....so I put on Human Highway, the movie...
Took Todd a little bit to figure out who the goof was that played Lionel Switch, and of course, we had a LOT of laughs....(I don't understand the folks that try to make more out of the movie than what it is....just FUN!!!!....and so they are disappointed!).
So, although it was still snowing, I got a 'Neil fix', had a good evening, a good meal, tasty tequila, and time with a great friend....
And, it is still snowing.....
It seems like it has been snowing for a life time.
Last night I was supposed to see a Q & A with Jonathon Demme after viewing his two movies on Neil Young, The Trunk Show and Heart of Gold. I have read that he sees these movies as two ends of the spectrum that is Neil Young....I don't quite agree (I think Neil has gone further into both ends than is presented in either show) but I sure do like Demme's eye and ear for Neil. I like that he likes to capture the artists on stage communicating with each other, I like how he shows Neil's playing and his emotion around the music. I have seen both movies before, but, as EVERYONE knows....movies are to be seen on the big screen, not this little tv screen....
So, it is still snowing, and did most of the day yesterday. Luckily, I didn't have to decide whether to try and make it---the movies were canceled.
What to do?? My friend Todd and I decided to head to Hudson, and take a walk and think about it...which we did, and ended up at Mexican Radio, an upscale Manhattan type Mexican restaurant (as opposed to an authentic one). I love that place, and I have taken MANY a rustie there for meals and/or drinks....
We had planned to check out the Main Street Pub in Philmont....I have heard many people suggest that it is a cool place to hang out, because it is very musician, and music, friendly. Last night they had a band, and we liked the write up we read on the website, (but I couldn't find the bands music at ALL on the internet). We planned to go....
But, it was still snowing. The roads were getting slick. Philmont is a hill town and kind of known around here for getting it worse there than about anywhere else in the county when it comes to bad weather.....
We ate, drank, and it was still snowing....
So, we went to my place and I took out my copy of Heart of Gold, gave Todd the 'back story' of Neil's health problems that were the catalyst for many of the songs in the film (unneeded, I quickly found out). It wasn't too long before I was hearing things from my friend like, 'He really does have a lot of great songs', and 'Wow, that was beautiful', and 'What a talented man'.
I don't know what got into me, but I decided that, having allowed Neil to be appreciated by my friend, he had to see the 'other side'....but I don't have the trunk show....so I put on Human Highway, the movie...
Took Todd a little bit to figure out who the goof was that played Lionel Switch, and of course, we had a LOT of laughs....(I don't understand the folks that try to make more out of the movie than what it is....just FUN!!!!....and so they are disappointed!).
So, although it was still snowing, I got a 'Neil fix', had a good evening, a good meal, tasty tequila, and time with a great friend....
And, it is still snowing.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)